Tortillas and Oranges » christmas

dessert: hot chocolate

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:29:52 +0000

Friends,

I apologize for my absence. Here is what I’ve been doing:

Hot Chocolate with dashes of Cinnamon and Chili Powder.

‘Nuff Said.

Salad: Snow-Capped Cranberry Jello

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:37:25 +0000

Everyone has their dish. You know what I mean. When your fancy pants gourmet friend Sally confounds you by bringing melted velveeta cheese mixed with ham to your appetizer party, you look at her with pity. What you don’t know is that her Grammy used to make it on Christmas Eve. As a small child she’d run to her Grammy’s table (again, we’re talking Christmas eve), dip a celery stick in the ham/cheese mixture and munch to her heart’s content. Like I said, everyone has their dish; their “I don’t care how gross it sounds I grew up with it and it makes me happy” dish. I have a warehouse full of these kinds of dishes. But this one is probably my favorite inexplicable-must-have-Thanksgiving dish. I suppose I could explain it after all. My mom made this when I was a child. Today, I have to have it. I love the orange cinnamon cranberry combination. And if I’m being really honest, I use this salad as my cranberry sauce. Oh heaven. Make fun of me all you want, but I bet there’s a dish you can’t live without, a dish that others would judge. You know you do.

Snow Capped Cranberry Mold

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup water
2 (1 lb.) cans whole cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced walnuts
Orange-Cinnamon Topping (see below)
twist of orange peel

Orange Cinnamon Topping:
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt

Soften gelatin for salad in 1/2 cup water. In a small saucepan, blend remaining 1/2 cup water with cranberry sauce and bring to a boil. Add softened gelatin, orange peel and salt, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Chill to consistency of unbeaten egg white. Fold in walnuts and pour into a 9-inch square baking dish (I pour it into a pretty square serving dish because this is what ultimately go on your table…so choose pretty). Refrigerate until almost set. Prepare topping below. Pour topping over almost-set cranberry gelatin. Refrigerate until set. Serve garnished with twist of orange peel.

Orange-Cinnamon Topping: Soften gelatin in water in a heat proof cup. Place cup on a pan of simmering water until gelatin is dissolved. Combine sour cream, marmalade, cinnamon and salt. Gradually blend in dissolved gelatin. Pour topping over almost set cranberry gelatin.

Cookie: Soft Ginger Snaps

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:59:38 +0000

I love ginger snaps. But must they snap? I’ve never been a fan of the snapping. If you are getting on the roller coaster ride that is Holiday Cooking, here is a ticket. Add this soft cookie to your list. It is a staple in our home. Not only do these taste amazing, they make your house smell amazing. So if you find yourself in a bind like I did recently: people are coming over and your house looks like a flea market. Throw a batch of these in the oven and the visitors will be distracted from the messes by the mesmerizing smell in the kitchen.

Soft Ginger Snaps
3/4 cup butter flavor shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375. Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses. Then add dry ingredients, including spices. Roll into balls, then roll around in a plate of granulated sugar. Bake for 8 minutes.

Side: Sugar Coated Pecans, Candied Pecans

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:17:30 +0000

Ooooohhh, it’s a comin’. Can you feel it? Twinkle lights are out, Christmas music in Aeropostale, bulk nuts and melting chocolate on sale at Costco. The Holidays are rumbling down the street and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. This week I’m going to post three holiday must have recipes.

In November and December, I go through candied pecans like water. I put them in salads (like this one), I fill my pretty dishes with them. I serve them during cocktail hour. I fill little cellophane bags with them when I need a quick gift. I snack on them while I cook. I make them in bulk and use them in bulk. Below is my standard recipe. And though I’ve mentioned this before, making these causes and insanely yummy aroma to fill your house. So, if your husband decides to degrease a gasoline soaked car part in your pristine kitchen sink five minutes before guests arrive because he really wants to show his friends “something cool”, just make these babies and your house will smell yummy instead of yucky. And no, that’s never happened to me. And yes, if you know Danny, you know that I just lied.

Candied Pecans

1 egg white
1 Tablespoon water
1 pound pecans (Many people use halves, I insist on whole. I think the large pecan looks gorgeous. Your choice)
1 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt (I make this a generous 3/4 teaspoon. Love the salty sweet combo.)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
(You can use any combination of holiday-like spices. Choose what you love and go with it.)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease one baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, whip together egg white and water until frothy. In another large bowl, mix sugar, salt, and all spices. Pour all pecans into egg white mixture. Toss evenly then pour wet pecans into sugar/spice bowl and toss until well coated. Spread nuts on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 250 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Bread: Biscuit Style Cinnamon Rolls

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:45:37 +0000

Today is a favorite Aunt’s birthday. In honor of E, I am posting a recipe she gave me long ago (like 20 years long ago). As with all recipes from E, these cinnamon rolls are unique, simple, scrumptious, and full of character. My girlfriends and I made them all through college. I’m still making them today for breakfasts and brunches all year long. Happy happy birthday E. You are an amazing woman.

Biscuit Style Cinnamon Rolls (or fancy Cinnamon Rolls with no yeast)
These rolls are great if you want the taste of cinnamon goodness but don’t want to wait for the yeast to do its job. Yummilicious.

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk

Streusel Mix
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tarter. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives or your fingers, blend shortening into dry mixture until have a bowl of fine crumbs. Add milk to dry butter mixture and toss with a fork until everything is moist. DO NOT OVERMIX. As Alton Brown famously said, “step away from the batter.” Dump out the moistened dough onto a floured board. Gently kneed the dough 10 times. Dough should be smooth. If you need to, sprinkle on a bit more flour so you can work with your dough. Using a rolling pin, shape dough into a larger rectangle, about 1/4 ” thick. Brush on melted butter, sprinkle with streusel mix. Gently press streusel into dough so its says during baking. Roll up the dough, starting from the long side, into a tight jelly roll. Slice off 1-inch thick cinnamon rolls. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.